


tag, you're it

by sunsies



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Itazura na Kiss, Attempt at Humor, Fluff, M/M, Or Is It?, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21886498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsies/pseuds/sunsies
Summary: He feels Wonwoo inching closer to him before he whispers, "If I return your feelings, will you cook ramen for me every day?"Mingyu whips around with wide eyes and the flash goes off.
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu
Comments: 10
Kudos: 239
Collections: YMMH FIC FEST





	tag, you're it

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt Y177 : itazura na kiss/playful kiss au
> 
> this is just . a dumb thing that takes forever to get done. it’s amazing how such a crack-ish fic could stress me out this much. 
> 
> btw if you watched the drama, it's clear that the male MC is undoubtedly rude and the relationship between the two leads is bordering toxic, so I switched it up since this house doesn't shelter abusive behaviours and we only accept wholesome characters!! just to get it out of the way. :)
> 
> thank you to the mods, prompter, and everyone reading. merry christmas and have a happy new year!

Mingyu's romantic epiphany arrives during his usual activity of people-watching, when his gaze accidentally zeroes in on one particular blank face conversing calmly with his friends at the side of the cafeteria, looking every bit like Mingyu’s ideal type. Mingyu doesn’t even know he has a type until that moment. Needless to say, he spends the rest of the lunch unabashedly staring.

The logical thing to do is to probably brush it off as a one-time thing but instead, it turns into multiple very much intentional glances on a daily basis. He doesn’t even bother to be discreet about his little ‘staring activity’ anymore since it has come to the point that his friends start to catch on, pausing their conversation and strain their necks to find out who exactly Mingyu is staring so dreamily at that he stops in the middle of eating just to sigh like a lovesick fool. Mingyu never puts anything above food, so this is new.

Minghao and Seungkwan exchange glances, having a silent conversation for a few moments before Seungkwan clears his throat in hopes that Mingyu would steer his attention to his dear friends, but no avail.

“So,” he ploughs on, undeterred. “Jeon Wonwoo, huh?” He raises his voice slightly, kicking Mingyu on his shin to grab his attention. Mingyu startles, almost dropping the utensils in his hand. He turns to glare at Seungkwan, completely unamused. 

“What?” He grunts, shovelling his lunch into his mouth once he realises that he still has a hefty amount of food uneaten. Seungkwan cringes slightly, wondering why he has to put up with this ill-mannered manchild.

“I said,” a bit peeved he has to repeat himself, his voice has taken a vindictive tone, “ _Jeon Wonwoo,_ huh?” 

That simple statement effectively causes Mingyu to almost choke on a piece of carrot. He swallows, emptying half his yoghurt drink in one go. His friends watch on blankly, already used to Mingyu being a mess. He raises his head, his face bright red and not only because his food goes to the wrong pipe. Seungkwan lets out a chuckle. He already gets the answer he wants, written all over Mingyu’s face.

“What are you talking about?” He says lamely, promptly turning the other way in a vain attempt to not face his friends, suddenly very interested in the pattern of the wall. Minghao purses his lips to subdue his laugh, while Seungkwan doesn’t even bother. Mingyu is the least subtle human being in the world, and the fact that Wonwoo hasn’t caught on to the fact that this tall kid keeps staring creepily at him is an amazing feat. He’s either incredibly dense or is already used to the stares. After all—he looks around to spot several others doing the same thing as Mingyu—he’s quite the popular one.

“It’s okay, we won’t shame you for liking that boy. He’s hot,” Seungkwan says, just to appease Mingyu. The poor boy whines like a sad puppy, picking his chopsticks again. 

“But don’t put much hope. He’s way out of your league,” Minghao finally speaks up, only to say something completely demeaning and unsupportive. He’s clearly joking, a teasing grin splitting his face. Mingyu whines louder, forgoing his half-eaten lunch to bury his head under his hands.

“I know that, stop making me feel like a loser!” His friends’ laughter sounds mocking to his ears. He thinks he needs new ones.

The thing is, Mingyu isn’t completely a loser per se. Sure, he isn’t the smartest in the room and he may as well has two left legs judging by how uncoordinated and clumsy he is, but he’s good at everything else. He does chores, he can play sports, he can fix things, he’s easy on the eyes and he towers a good foot above everyone. In fact, he’s quite popular himself. The only thing holding him back is his emotional control which may as well belong to a 12 years old girl. 

Which brings to this current situation: him hunched over the table and trying his hardest to pour his feelings with his horrendous writing. He bites his lips, crossing the word ‘mysteriously illuminating eyes’, thinking it’s too much. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts.

“What are you doing?” Mingyu jumps, skin crawling and reflex quickly kicks in as he hides the papers in front of him with his lanky arms. The action only draws further suspicions, Seungkwan's eyes narrowing down at him. Hansol is beside him, looking confused as usual.

“You’re blushing. Why are you blushing?” Seungkwan frowns at him, eyes drifting off to the unassuming pieces of papers Mingyu is so adamant on hiding. His eyes return to Mingyu’s, eyebrows raised in silent question, a challenging glint in his usually warm eyes.

“Kim Mingyu, you’re hiding things from me?” Seungkwan’s voice is teetering cold, seeing as Mingyu still refuses to meet his gaze nor answer any of his inquiries. Mingyu shakes his head, flushing from the root of his hair down to his neck. He sees Hansol sitting down in front of him by the corner of his eyes, looking back and forth with an amused look.

“It’s embarrassing…” Mingyu finally says, voice small. Seungkwan looks at him with distaste, thinking he’s just pulling Seungkwan’s leg at this point. He pulls the seat beside Hansol and lowers himself down, eyes never leaving Mingyu’s shrinking form the whole time. For someone with that height and build, he certainly likes to make himself as small as his long limbs allow. 

“And? You do embarrassing shit all the time. Never cared about what we think before,” And, well. Seungkwan is right, of course. But still.

He sighs and succumbs easily like he always does. The two in front of him move closer instinctively, sensing his reluctant acceptance. 

“I’m writing a letter,” He whispers inconspicuously. “Love letter,” he adds as an afterthought before pulling back. Hansol and Seungkwan stare at him blankly as they wait for further explanation, only to realise they’re getting none. Their eyes meet for a split second, and in the next moment they simultaneously double over in laughter. It’s freaky, the way they always do that uniform thing they do. Mingyu supposes it’s a couple thing.

“Love…letter…” Seungkwan wheezes, slapping Hansol’s thigh as Mingyu watches on with tired eyes. “What are we, stuck in 2008?” Hansol isn’t laughing half as loud as Seungkwan, but his eyes are disbelieving, mocking. Mingyu can just _feel_ it.

“This is exactly why I don’t want to tell you guys,” He mutters, leg of his seat screeching as he abruptly stands up. Before he can go far, Seungkwan captures his wrist and pulls him back, sitting him down with a force unmatched his petite body compared to Mingyu’s. He’s still grinning, Mingyu notes with a frown.

“Okay, we’re not laughing,” he turns the other way around, struggling to swallow his bubbling laughter.

“Take your time,” Mingyu hums, arms crossed as he leans back against the chair, his painstakingly written letter exposed in the open be damned. This is it, any semblance of respect Seungkwan and Hansol might have for him as the older one is all but washed up by the shores, never to be found again.

“I think it’s romantic, really,” Hansol speaks up then, just as Seungkwan swivels with pursed lips. They turn to look at him, one with disbelief and another with bright eyes.

“See—” Mingyu’s voice raises several pitches high in excitement to prove Seungkwan wrong. “Hansol gets it!” 

Seungkwan rolls his eyes, smacking his boyfriend lightly on the cheek and reprimanding him for “giving false hope to the kid.” Hansol shrugs, not finding anything wrong with what he said. He isn't Mingyu’s favourite for no reason.

“Hansol is old-fashioned, don’t listen to him.” Seungkwan cuts in, ignoring Hansol’s offended squawk. He sits back down, looking part confused and part affronted. “But really though, a letter? It’s 2019, hyung,” Even though his attitude doesn’t show he holds any respect for Mingyu, the use of honorific reminds Mingyu that Seungkwan is still a decent kid. Even when he has an odd way of showing it.

“I don’t know...“ he begins, sighing. He does know, though, he just wants to preface it like it's no big deal. “I’ve seen him reading a lot and I caught him at the library several times. And you know how smart he is, everyone does. I just feel like he would probably appreciate the traditional way, as old-fashioned as it is,” he explains, some bite behind his words. Seungkwan quiets as he tries to process Mingyu’s logic, a rare sight as the table is washed over with silence.

“The fact that you willingly go to that boring dreary library of doom just to stalk your boy is truly something,” he says dryly, much to Mingyu’s dismay. Of course that insignificant part is what he chooses to focus on.

“Shut up and leave me alone. Hansol can stay though,” he chastises before reaching for his pen again. He ignores Hansol whooping and Seungkwan’s indignant response, focusing his effort on romancing a dude with a few sheets of paper. He still has some things left to say, and since he’s doing this, he might as well go all the way. 

“He’s coming!” Seungkwan whisper-yells, eyes manic as they settle on a sight over Mingyu’s shoulder. He frowns, turning to see no other than the object of his affection walking towards their direction with his usual air of nonchalance. Mingyu swallows, stiffly turning his head away and wills the moment to pass. He doesn’t think it’s healthy for his heart to beat this fast. 

“Not a word,” Mingyu snips, eyes narrowing at the sinister smiles on his friends’ faces as they converse silently with gestures Mingyu don’t quite understand. Mingyu is dumb, but he’s not _that_ dumb to not know his friends are plotting something that involves publicly embarrassing him. That’s what they do best.

“Kim Mingyu!” Seungkwan begins yelling out of nowhere, almost causing Mingyu to jump out of his skin. Through his peripheral view, he can see Wonwoo stopping just beside their table, halting from wherever destination he was heading.

“You one of a kind boy, you. I can never repay your kindness for buying me food yesterday!” Seungkwan continues dramatically, reaching for Mingyu’s hand, and it only serves to confuse Mingyu further by the minute.

“And the way you help Jihoon to reach that book from the highest shelf...what a hero,” Minghao gushes, unlike his usual stoic self. Mingyu’s eye twitches. _What_ are they planning?

“Oh Kim Mingyu, you great guy,” Mingyu tunes out the rubbish talk after a while, knowing fully well his friends are just trying to get a rise from him. He won’t let them win, not with Wonwoo so close by. No way he’s risking it.

“Kim Mingyu?” Mingyu freezes, a foreign sensation hitting him as if he is being splashed with cold water and being burned by the force of a million suns simultaneously. The low sultry voice wrapping around the syllables of his name sounds like a vice, a grip Mingyu never wants to break out of. He wishes he can record that sound just to replay it whenever he wants to.

He slowly turns, meeting Wonwoo’s blank face. He’s looking right at Mingyu, eyes cold and detached. Mingyu feels the chills just by looking at them a distance away, moreover in near range. He is also incredibly handsome up close but Mingyu at least has the decency and conscience to not ogle at him so openly. He nods hesitantly, briefly noticing his friends have fallen quiet.

He watches in horror as Wonwoo removes something from his back pocket, the neatly folded papers very familiar. He places them in the middle of the table, empty hands placed inside his pockets. The usually rowdy cafeteria is suspiciously quiet, everyone watching in unveiled interest at the unlikely interaction between the popular cold kid and the troublemaker from the last class. It’s like seeing two different worlds intersect. 

Everyone in the table halts their movement, breath bated. Seungkwan breaks out of the tense situation first, nudging at Mingyu to pick up the innocent letters that may hold all the answers. Mingyu hesitantly heeds, sneaking a look at Wonwoo whose expression doesn't reveal a thing.

This is unreal. He unravels the papers carefully, heart pounding in his chest before stopping at the sight. His jaw snaps open at the _D-_ displayed neatly at the top of the first page, the content marked and corrected with a red pen. He ignores his friends’ curious looks and flips through each of them, finding the rest in the same condition. Did he somehow accidentally sent a love letter to a teacher?

“I was being generous,” Wonwoo finally speaks up again, his deep voice never failing to send Mingyu into a whirlwind of emotion, more so in his distressed state. “Flattered, but you should focus on your studies first.”

With that last statement that plainly mocks his intellect, Wonwoo leaves coolly, as if he hasn’t just publicly shame Mingyu in front of everyone in the open.

It’s quiet for a long while, the cafeteria only filled with murmurs and whispers as they steal glances at a shell-shocked Mingyu, left in the dust. Minghao prods him to snap out of it while Seungkwan plucks out the letter from his slack hand. He lets out a low whistle, lips upturned.

“Have to admit that it’s funny though,” Seungkwan supplies unhelpfully. Minghao looks over his shoulder, sputtering when he sees the content. 

“Harsh, man,” he comments, patting Mingyu’s hand consolingly. Mingyu doesn’t even know how to respond, disappointment and shame heavy in his heart. 

“Next time,” he says finally, voice numb and devoid of emotion. “Please don’t let me do dumb things again.”

“But everything you do is dumb,” Seungkwan pipes up, quietening when Minghao shakes his head at him in warning. 

“It’s just a boy, Mingyu. Not worth beating yourself over,” Minghao says gently. He is always sarcastic but he has moments where he can be dutifully sweet and caring. Mingyu revels in it when he can.

“Plus, it _is_ kinda funny. Would you expect anything less from the smartest boy in the school?” Seungkwan chimes in, waving the letter around. Mingyu winces, just wanting those incriminating papers out of his sight already.

“He thinks I’m a huge idiot,” Mingyu deadpans. 

“You are, so? You have other redeeming qualities, intellect isn’t the only important thing,” Seungkwan reasons. Mingyu nods solemnly, eyes downcast and barely noticing his friends beginning to crowd around him before he is being enveloped in a hug.

“No matter what you still have us,” Seungkwan says to his neck. Mingyu smiles, tiny and real. Rejection hits pretty hard, but he knows he always has his friends to fall back to.

“Mingyu, sweetheart, there is something we need to talk to you about,” Mingyu turns when his mother appears, soft fingers massaging his shoulders. His father follows after, joining them at the couch.

“What is it?” He asks curiously, watching as his parents exchange a look. His father leans forward, meeting his eyes. Whatever it is, it must be news.

“We have a business trip in a few days and it will take some time, so we have to find someone to take care of you,” Mingyu nods, used to his parents going outstation every once in a while. He ponders his options; Minghao sounds like a better choice but his parents aren’t so fluent in Korean and Minghao is usually not home because of his dance lessons so it will probably be quite lonely, but Seungkwan is too rowdy and surely will throw pranks every other day. He can just return the favour and they can have a full-blown prank war, that sounds like a fun time.

“It’s not with any of your friends, though,” Mingyu’s head snaps up at that, squinting at his father in confusion. 

“I rekindled with my old friend recently and when I told him about the situation, he insists that he can take care of you,” Mingyu’s gaze alternates between his mother and father. Are they saying they’re going to dump Mingyu with some stranger? 

“Is that fine with you? He’s a good person and his wife will take good care of you. He also said he has a son your age who goes to the same school. You won’t be lonely then,” Mingyu silents, lamenting over it. He’s fine with unfamiliar settings, sociable enough to not let it bother him, although he would still prefer a familiar face. But the way that his mother is looking at him with pleading eyes forces any thoughts of rejecting the idea out the window. He has always been a constant headache for his parents, so it's about time he does something right for once.

“Fine.” He smiles at his parents, watching in contentment as relief flood their features. What’s the worst that could happen?

Mingyu backtracks. He squints his eyes and rubs on them for extra measure to make sure he’s not seeing wrong. Did he somehow delude himself into seeing a figure of  Jeon Wonwoo curling up on the sofa in the living room of Mingyu’s new temporary residence? He looks up then, eyes sharp and unreadable before looking away just as quickly. Mingyu gulps. No doubt in his mind that it is truly him. He shrinks, folding into himself and willing the ground to swallow him whole.

“You have the _worst_ luck!” Seungkwan laughs hysterically during their FaceTime session later that night, almost tearing up after Mingyu tells him about the awkward encounter in front of the shared bathroom in the middle of their adjacent rooms. Mingyu groans, planting his face on the fluffy mattress. He receives a warm welcome from his parents’ friends, but not so much from their two sons. 

The youngest harbours an intense dislike for him ever since he learned that Mingyu is taking his room and he has to share with his brother, which is understandable. Wonwoo however just outright ignores his existence, as if it was just a regular night and Mingyu isn’t under a roof with him. The dinner is bound to awkward no matter how advanced Mingyu’s social skills are, and he has plenty. At least he charmed Wonwoo's parents, though he doesn't have much luck with the two boys sitting across him on the table.

“Look at the bright side, at least there are chances for you to get closer to him--or to get over him? I don't know, whichever you want,” Seungkwan looks confused by his own words, but he nods in conviction anyway. Mingyu sighs, not an ounce of energy in him to even sit up and face Seungkwan properly, so Seungkwan can only get a good view of his bedridden hair and sombre eyes. He is beyond caring of how he looks like in front of his friends. 

“I’m going to go to sleep and hope tomorrow I wake up in my own house and this is all some elaborate dream or something. See you,” he ignores Seungkwan’s complaints before he turns off his phone and rolls over. This mattress is ridiculously soft, and he’s too scatterbrained to last a moment longer so he immediately falls into a deep, restless sleep.

It’s not a dream, Mingyu realises when he blinks up to an unfamiliar canopy on top of his bed. The simple fact leaves Mingyu reeling with enough mixed emotions for him to have a silent meltdown in his room while he gets ready before he reluctantly trudges downstairs to face whatever the day is about to throw at him.

“Wonwoo, dear, wait up for Mingyu here!” Wonwoo’s mother calls out when her oldest son promptly brisks by after grabbing a toast off his plate, bag on one shoulder and arm raised in goodbye as he bites into his breakfast. He ignores her, the door swinging behind him and then he’s gone. Mingyu looks over to Wonwoo’s mother, looking weary but not surprised.

“He’s a bit difficult, but he’s brilliant. I guess you can’t have it all, huh?” She says with a smile, spreading jam on Mingyu’s toast before handing it to him. Mingyu accepts gratefully, eyes wandering before they settle on a glaring child sitting across him.

“What are you looking at?” Mingyu startles, the sudden sound too loud in the early morning. Wonwoo’s mother, who he’s referring as Aunt Lee now, swats Chan on the shoulder as a warning. He continues to be incredibly hostile towards Mingyu throughout the whole breakfast, and Mingyu's mood just sours every passing second. He feels unwanted, and it's not a good feeling.

He arrives at school sullen, and even a hug from his friends doesn’t make him feel much better. He’s confused as to what to feel. He just got rejected, and now he’s sharing the same space as his rejectee. He is sure that even if he cracks open any textbooks he never gives as much as a glance before, he won’t find a syllabus that covers how to deal with matters like these.

“Utilise it, this is an opportunity! Get closer to him, get to know him better. This could either end up in your favour or in shambles. Your reputation is nonexistent anyway, what do you have to lose?” Mingyu groans. He would prefer for Seungkwan to stop speaking any moment now, but it seems like he has a lot more to say.

“Let the boy breathe,” Minghao comes to the rescue before Mingyu explodes, his eyes knowing as they flit briefly between his two friends. Mingyu lets out a relieved breath, sending a grateful look at Minghao before promptly lifting himself up.

“I need to clear my mind, be somewhere...not here. Bye,” he turns without waiting for a response, trusting Minghao to handle Seungkwan while he goes to clear his head.  He has a lot to process.

“I propose a blank slate,” Mingyu says after he psyches himself enough to go knock on Wonwoo’s door and it opens almost promptly.

“Pardon?” Wonwoo stares at him, eyes icy and unamused. Mingyu forces his feet to stay rooted to the spot and soldiers on.

“We didn’t get in the right foot, but I rather not make the rest of my stay stiff and uncomfortable so I hope we can, you know, get along,” Mingyu wrings his hands together, avoiding Wonwoo’s intimidating gaze. He waits with bated breath, wondering why it’s taking so long for Wonwoo to say something.

“You’re not going to jump me, right?” Mingyu whips his head up at that. He frowns before his eyes widen in realisation. He wildly shakes his head and swings both of his hands in a rejecting manner, motion jerky and rushed.

“No! What do you take me for?” Mingyu yelps, scandalised. Does Wonwoo think he’s the type to take advantage of people he likes?

“Plus, I don’t, you know, like you anymore,” Mingyu clears his throat, praying to the heaven above the flush on his face isn’t obvious. He has been told he is the worst liar.

“Hmm…” Wonwoo seems to think so too, clearly not believing him. “Why exactly should I give you the time of day? How would it benefit me in any way?”

Mingyu’s eye twitches. God, he’s so infuriating and yet so attractive. If Mingyu isn’t half in love with him he would just up and leave. As it is, it’s not that simple.

“Fine, if I land myself in the top 50 in my grade, will you reconsider?” Mingyu has no idea why that’s the first thing that comes to mind but decides to roll with it. There is no way he’s backing out when Wonwoo is acting this high and mighty.

There’s a glint of amusement in the bottomless eyes, a tiny smirk on that handsome face. He agrees easily, as if he is sure Mingyu won’t make it. Mingyu can feel his competitive streak flaming by the unspoken challenge. Time to do what he does best; taking advantage of the situation.

“If I get in, you have to treat me better. And _also_ ,” he pauses for dramatic effect, Wonwoo’s eyes squinting in suspicion, ”you have to carry me across the courtyard.” 

He smiles winningly when the smirk is wiped out from Wonwoo’s face, a sudden surge of confidence rushing through him from gaining the upper hand.

“Are you aware you’re taller and bigger than me?” Wonwoo asks seriously. Mingyu nods, blushing lightly at the indirect compliment. He waves his hand around as if it’s an insignificant matter, turning away slightly in an act of nonchalance.

“You’re Jeon Wonwoo. You can do anything,” Mingyu peeks an eye out, gauging Wonwoo’s reaction. “Unless...you can’t?”

That elicits the response he is searching for, Wonwoo’s face burning red and eyes harsh at the implication that Wonwoo is anything less than superior. He knows Wonwoo has an ego, and he doesn’t like to lose. That makes the two of them.

“Fine. But if you fail, I’ll make you regret ever proposing this stupid bet,” He snarls, and Mingyu’s confidence crumbles down at the intensity in those dark eyes. He can only nod mutely, before the door swings close to his face. He gnaws on his bottom lip, wondering why he has decided to undertake the iceberg. He has never been known to make wise decisions.

“So you’re like, what, acquaintances now?” Seungkwan frowns at him as Mingyu recalls himself initiating a conversation with Wonwoo this morning and receives an actual acknowledgement instead of blatant dismissal. It has only been a few words exchanged, but that is enough to plant a glimmer of hope in his chest. 

“More or less,” he responds vaguely, not giving anything away. He made up his mind to get to know Wonwoo better so that he can reach a verdict on what to with these jumbled emotions, and if that means he has to fend himself from his busybody friends, then so be it.

Seungkwan snaps his mouth shut although Mingyu knows he’s itching to say more. Minghao probably lectures him to not run his mouth too much considering Mingyu is in a ‘sensitive’ place right now. Mingyu doesn’t appreciate how delicate they’re treating him, he could easily bench press both of them if he wants to.

“If you don’t end up charming him by the end of this, I will be disappointed, but not surprised,” he says calmly, blowing on his soup. 

“Oh, I’m planning on it alright,” he mumbles, careful not to let any of his friends hear. If Seungkwan gets involved, he knows it’s only time before he gets roped into crazy ideas that will get him kicked out of his temporary residence. For the sake of his sanity and also to spare Wonwoo, he’ll keep silent. For now.

“Don’t look now, but Wonwoo is glaring at you,” Minghao says suddenly. And obviously, Mingyu does the total opposite of what he's told. He jolts, Wonwoo’s sharp eyes sending shivers down his spine before they flick away casually. He turns back to face his friends, face pale.

“I didn’t do anything and he still hates me,” he whispers, face scrunched up as if about to cry. Minghao pats his hand in sympathy. 

“Long way to go, Mingyu. Long way.”

Mingyu stands frozen in front of Wonwoo’s door, fist positioned in a knocking position but never actually executing the action. He takes a deep breath. It’s just one question, Wonwoo surely won’t mind?

Except when he gathers enough courage to actually knock, the door swings open and Wonwoo’s slightly startled face came into view before his expression smoothens just as quickly.

“What are you doing?” Wonwoo leans against the door, arms wrapped in front of his waist. Mingyu would be lying if he says Wonwoo doesn’t look hot like that, all cold and domineering.

“I just, uh, wanted to ask you about this question,” he says, shoving the exercise book in Wonwoo’s arms. Wonwoo looks at him strangely before dropping his gaze.

“You’re studying? About time,” Wonwoo comments offhandedly, reaching for the book and the pen Mingyu clipped on the page. Mingyu chooses to pointedly ignore the comment, instead taking the time to sneakily glance at the interior of Wonwoo’s room. It looks admittedly messy but organised enough with neatly shelved books and scattered puzzle games Chan usually plays with. Mingyu’s eyes return to study his handsome face as he solves the question in record’s time, returning the book to Mingyu with a bored expression. 

Mingyu blinks. That’s it? He lingers, brain worker harder than ever as he gets hit by a sudden thought. Since he’s being presented with a rare opportunity to be in the presence of a genius, he should reap as much as he can. Aside from for his own profit, it's a chance for him to try and press Wonwoo’s buttons, just enough to garner a response and rile him up. He wants to crack Wonwoo's tough exterior using the only way he knows best: by being annoying. 

“Oh, how about this and this then?” He grins meaningfully, pointing to the other questions he has circled. Wonwoo lets out a heavy sigh but doesn’t say anything else, pen quickly running across the page. Mingyu truly has no doubt in his mind why the guy in front of him always get a perfect score in every exam. 

He sheepishly points to another question when Wonwoo finishes, and despite Wonwoo not saying anything but complying, he can tell by the darkening expression that he is quickly losing his temper. He decides now is a good time as any to backpedal before he loses a roof to shelter his head.

“Is that it, or do you need me to do the whole damn book for you too?” Mingyu startles at the growl, quickly snatching his book back and bowing to Wonwoo in gratitude before dashing off to his room.

He leans against the door, heart beating uncontrollably as he looks down at Wonwoo’s clear handwriting. He tries to stifle his grin but fails miserably, a light giggle escaping his lips. 

“Why are you studying in the first place? You _never_ study,” Seungkwan’s eyes widen the moment he gets a view of Mingyu with books scattered around him on the study table. Mingyu waggles his eyebrows, a teasing grin on his face.

“Aren’t you curious about that?” Mingyu cackles, the sound loud in the usually silent house. He can hear Chan shouting ‘shut up!’ somewhere, which he promptly ignores.

“Mingyu hyung…I’m scared for your sanity,” Seungkwan continues, shaking his head in puzzlement. His eyes drift off the screen momentarily and he waves someone over. Hansol pops on the screen not long after, his reaction not much different from Seungkwan’s once he catches sight of Mingyu.

“Oh, Mingyu hyung. Cool, man. New year, new resolution?” Hansol says monotonously, and that only makes Mingyu laugh harder. Even Seungkwan is snorting, momentarily disappearing from view as he hides his face in Hansol’s shoulder.

“Yes, Hansol, that’s exactly it,” Hansol nods, grinning toothily and Mingyu almost coos at him if not for Seungkwan choosing that moment to step in.

“First of all, sweetheart, it’s almost October. And I’m sure he just wants to impress his crush,” Mingyu makes a face, because Seungkwan is completely right and there is no way he is willing to admit to that.

Before he can retort a snark reply, there’s a sudden knock on his door. He blinks, quickly saying goodbye before hanging up the call. He gets up from his position, a glance at the clock shows that it’s 4 pm. He frowns since it's too early for dinner but opens the door anyway, almost jumping back in shock when Wonwoo stands there in full glory, looking his usual bored and detached self.

“Hey,” he says, eyes tilted up to meet Mingyu’s. The height advantage should probably give him more of a bearing, but instead, Mingyu feels like he’s the one being stared down instead.

“My mom is not around, so make yourself useful and cook dinner for us,” He continues without waiting for Mingyu’s response. His tone is demanding, no room for discussion. Mingyu snaps his mouth open and close, flabbergasted. He nods stiffly when Wonwoo’s eyes harden at the belated response. Satisfied, Wonwoo promptly turns on his heel and walks away.

“Wait!” He starts, wondering where the sudden boost of confidence comes from. Wonwoo pauses, turning around with a raised eyebrow. 

“Anything you want to eat in particular?” _Utilise it, this is an opportunity! Get closer to him, get to know him better,_ Seungkwan’s voice resounds in his head. 

Wonwoo ponders over that for a moment, staring at the ceiling as he thinks. Mingyu, never one to miss an opportunity, uses that chance to openly ogle at his sharp jawline and ink-black hair, down to his broad shoulders and slender body. His eyes snap back to Wonwoo’s face when he makes a noise of affirmation. Thankfully, Wonwoo doesn’t seem to notice his blatant staring.

“I want some ramen,” he replies shortly, before sauntering off. Mingyu nods his head at the empty space, closing his door and letting a smile lit his face.

Time to bring all the culinary skills he has to the table.

“It’s good,” Wonwoo comments after he finishes his bowl and asks for another. Mingyu’s face brightens at that, scooping a generous portion for him. Wonwoo is too slender, thus Mingyu has cooked plenty as a secret agenda to fatten Wonwoo up. He may also want to show off, but that’s beside the point.

Even Chan finishes his meal, even though he keeps nitpicking and complaining the whole time. He admits albeit reluctantly that Mingyu is indeed a good cook before going up to his room with a pout. 

“Your parents are both out?” Mingyu breaks the surprisingly easy silence, his voice light as he places the pot in the sink, pulling on his sleeves after before turning on the sink. He hears Wonwoo hums alongside the sound of chopsticks clinking against the porcelain bowl. Wonwoo doesn’t elaborate, not that Mingyu is expecting him to. A moment later, he hears the sound of metal screeching against the floor, and Wonwoo comes up to him not long after, close enough for Mingyu to feel his body heat. He pauses in the middle of washing the dishes before quickly catches himself.

“Thanks for the meal,” Wonwoo says, his low voice doing things to Mingyu’s heart. He doesn’t go straight away, and the proximity bothers Mingyu more than it should. Mingyu can feel his eyes on him, imploring and calculating. Mingyu tries very hard to focus on the dishes instead of the unnerving attention on him.

“You want help with your studying?” Mingyu’s hand stills, not believing his ears. Wonwoo snickers at whatever he sees in Mingyu’s face, the upward curl of his lips releasing a million butterflies inside of Mingyu’s ribcage.

“Don’t look at me like that, I’m not all that bad,” he says, finally moving away and giving Mingyu space to breathe. Mingyu snaps his jaw shut, realising he still has to answer.

“Yes, I would like that, actually,” he replies, finishing up the last of the dirty dishes before straightening up to face Wonwoo with a wide grin. “Thanks for offering.”

Wonwoo shrugs, calmly making his way up the stairs. Mingyu waits until he disappears from view before he pumps his fist, being very careful to not make a loud noise as he cheers quietly to himself.

He stares blankly at the pile of work Wonwoo has assigned for him as well as some exam questions he personally typed and printed himself. Mingyu is grateful, truly, but he seems to underestimate Wonwoo’s power. He doesn’t need to try hard since he’s a genius, but Mingyu could already feel his bones falling off just by the sight of the awaiting assignments on top of his homework.

He’s not a quitter though, so he takes a deep breath before diving in. 

Wonwoo has allowed Mingyu to camp in his room while he tutors him, Chan occasionally coming in to scold Mingyu for bothering his big brother, but Mingyu is too knee-deep in algebra to acknowledge or even respond to his angry rants. He leaves then, huffing since he couldn’t get a rise out of Mingyu.

It goes swimmingly well, and Mingyu learns a thing or two that sticks in his head. It’s a rarity that a study session goes on so well since he’s usually so distracted by his friends to do any actual studying, but Wonwoo’s presence is helpful. He’s mostly quiet, but he gives enough pointers for Mingyu to keep going at a steady pace. They, Mingyu dare to say, work quite well together.

“I think that’s enough for today,” Wonwoo’s voice shakes him from his sleepy daze, and he narrowly avoids landing his head from the pile of books in front of him. His eyes are heavy, barely opening. He hums, limbs slow as he gathers himself, picking up his belongings as he goes.

“Kim Mingyu,” Mingyu turns around when he almost exits Wonwoo’s room, his muddled brain barely noticing Wonwoo’s eyes make a quick scan over his hunched form. 

“Good job,” it’s such a simple, common statement and it shouldn’t fluster Mingyu as much, but he still feels the familiar pinprick of nerves shooting all over his body, alerting him awake slightly. He gives a soft, small smile in return, meeting Wonwoo’s eyes with wavering bravery.

“Thanks. Good night,” he says softly, crossing the hallway to get to his room. He closes the door behind him, loosening his grip on his study materials and drops himself to bed. It doesn’t take him long to fall into a pleasant sleep.

“Wow, wipe that blatant lovesick look off your face, you’re hurting my eyes,” Seungkwan says first thing when he gets to their table. Mingyu still wears a silly grin on his face, barely even listening to him.

“Morning Boo, lovely day today!” He laughs merrily with an air of liberation like he owns the entire world. Seungkwan shares a disdainful look with Minghao, inching farther from Mingyu who is evidently not in his right mind.

“What’s up with him?” Seungkwan mutters to Minghao, but Minghao also doesn’t have an answer. He shrugs, glancing at Mingyu who is still overflowing with his flowery, glittery aura before turning to Seungkwan.

“I have no idea. He’s been that way since our class this morning,” his gaze shifts to the end of the cafeteria where Wonwoo sits, nursing his lunch with blatant disinterest towards the world around him. “I bet it has something to do with Mr Cold Guy over there.”

Seungkwan nods, also looking over at the senior. There’s no other possible reason for Mingyu’s sudden shift in mood. He hasn’t seen Mingyu like this since...ever.

“Mingyu hyung?” Seungkwan calls, voice saccharine-sweet. Mingyu turns to him, canine in full display. He tries not to let his smile waver at the sight of lettuce stuck on Mingyu’s teeth.

“You have lettuce on your teeth— _anyway_! How are you?” Seungkwan gestures with as much gusto he can muster. Mingyu innocently grabs the bait, removing the piece of vegetables using the reflection on the back of his spoon before leaning into his friends.

“He tutored me and said I did a good job,” Mingyu answers brightly. As expected, it doesn’t take much at all for him to spill. Seungkwan’s mouth rounds in slight surprise at the unexpected progress, sharing a look at Minghao before returning to a beaming Mingyu.

“That’s great!” He grins, genuine this time. Mingyu looks delighted, and happiness is a good look on him. Seungkwan doesn’t trust nor like Wonwoo all that much, but since Mingyu does, who is he to deny him of anything?

“Do you think that plants cry when they're being cut off?” Mingyu wonders out loud in the middle of a dawdling the day away with his feet propped against the couch while Wonwoo occupies the single sofa beside him, reading a thick novel with his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, his loose sweater covering half of his hands. He looks good like this, and Mingyu has a hard time looking away. Which means more often than not, their eyes meet when Wonwoo senses the burning stare at the side of his face. He doesn’t say anything when it happens, only cocking a brow before looking away. 

“They do. They release gases during distress and you can only hear it if you use a laser-powered microphone,” Mingyu’s jaw snaps open. He meant it to be a rhetorical question, but he seems to forget who he’s talking with. Wonwoo flips to another page, glasses slipping to his nose. Mingyu has half a mind to push it up for him. He keeps his hands to himself.

“Right,” he says, finally sitting upright, attention piqued. The rest of the day goes like that, Mingyu asking every ridiculous question he could think of and Wonwoo amusing him with his abundance of knowledge. Wonwoo is in the midst of explaining that Northern Lights season is from late August to mid-April when Chan comes bounding in between them with his Rubik’s cube and pointedly sit as far as he can possibly can from Mingyu on the same sofa.

“Hey kid,” Mingyu greets, receiving a hiss in reply. He raises his hands in surrender.

“You’re just as scary as your brother,” he mutters, and Wonwoo apparently has sharp hearing since he glares at Mingyu for that jab. He is almost at the end of his book despite Mingyu keep stealing his attention to bother him with silly questions. His multitasking skill is really on another level.

“Why do you keep bothering Wonwoo hyung? Do something better with your time, won’t you? Go clean or cook or something,” Chan begins nagging, affronted.

Mingyu ponders about it for a moment. He should, shouldn’t he? He likes to do chores, and that should keep his hands busy enough to stop thinking about Wonwoo all the time. It has gotten so chronic nowadays since he sees him in every room he goes to, Wonwoo’s toiletries in the bathroom, his stray books left in the living room and dining table, his glasses on the shelves. Even if he doesn’t see him in the flesh, there is no way of escaping his shadow.

“You know what, I should,” he begins to stand, but Wonwoo suddenly speaks up.

“Sit down,” he pauses, complying silently. He looks at the fuming Chan in confusion before turning to Wonwoo who puts down his finished book on the coffee table in front of him, removing his glasses in one smooth motion. It takes his utmost effort to not swoon over the sight.

“You’re our guest, not our maid,” Mingyu almost reminds him that Wonwoo demanded him to cook last week like he is their personal maid, but decides to keep his mouth shut. Wonwoo is doing a rare show of defending him, why should he ruin that by running his stupid mouth?

He hums, shrugging at Chan. The kid only rolls his eyes before he turns away, immersing himself with his puzzle. Chan is also smart, loyally following after his brother’s footsteps. He must be put off that he has to share his brother’s attention with someone else. Mingyu suddenly feels bad for being the accidental middleman. 

“I’m going to head upstairs first” he announces, sidestepping Wonwoo before leaning in quickly. “Go talk with your brother,” he whispers, only meant for Wonwoo to hear. He looks at Mingyu with a slight frown and shrugs it off, shooing him away.

_Rude_ , Mingyu mouths and smiles over his shoulder. Wonwoo rolls his eyes, moving to sit at Mingyu’s previous place to strike a conversation with Chan. His little brother lightens up at the acknowledgement, and Mingyu watches the interaction with a small smile, warmth flooding his chest.

Mingyu makes it. He blinks up at this name, neatly sitting on the 49th place. He can’t believe his eyes, and it takes him harassing Minghao to make sure he’s seeing correctly that the reality begins to sink in. He made it, he wins the stupid bet, as Wonwoo so eloquently put it.

He pulls Wonwoo from his class, not caring that Wonwoo has initially set a rule that he was not to interact or be in close proximity with Wonwoo at school. He is too blinded by joy to even care about the eyes on them nor the death threats Wonwoo makes along the way as he drags him by the wrist to the notice board.

“Look!” He says brightly once they arrive, Wonwoo snatches up his hand and looks up at him murderously. Mingyu grins apologetically, mumbling a sheepish ‘sorry’. Wonwoo only sighs, his eyes drifting to the notice board and making a quick scan before his eyes stop at Mingyu’s name.

“So you did it,” Wonwoo says simply, unreadable as usual. Mingyu nods in fervour, his good mood not easily diminished by the lacklustre response.

“Fine, I’m a man of my word. I will try to treat you ‘better’ now,” he says, making air quotes with his fingers. Mingyu smiles at him with intent, waiting. Wonwoo stares back in response, expression vacant.

“Did you forget?” Mingyu grins toothily. “Carry me across--” Wonwoo lifts a hand, and the simple gesture immediately shuts him up. Wonwoo's face is dark, looking like he’s moments away from unleashing his wraith.

“I am aware,” he says slowly, cold voice sending shivers down Mingyu’s spine. “I was hoping you would forget since you’re dumb enough to ask for it in the first place.”

Mingyu places a hand in his chest, making a show of being hurt by Wonwoo’s words. He bounces back a moment later, still too deliriously happy from achieving what he perceives as unachievable. Maybe he’s not as stupid as he thought.

They garner quite some audience already, some of them overhearing the conversation and getting the gist of what is happening. They begin chanting for Wonwoo to “carry him!” and the look in Wonwoo’s face could make anyone’s blood run cold. 

“What is happening here?” The cheers stop, and a presence makes itself known with his shaggy blonde hair flopping across a baby blue headband and unbuttoned uniform that reveals a plain tee inside. He walks closer, the crowd naturally start dispersing in contempt. 

“Mingyu baby, he’s bothering you?” Soonyoung drawls, pointing at Wonwoo who only rolls his eyes in response.

“If anything, _he’s_ the one bothering me,” Wonwoo mutters pointedly. Soonyoung’s sharp eyes turn to him, his chubby face contorted in displease. 

“I’m not talking to you, punk,” he retorts harshly. He steps closer, expression changing instantly as he smiles sweetly at Mingyu. “This asshole giving you a hard time?”

Mingyu’s bright smile turns awkward, not expecting this turn of events. 

“I’m fine, Soonyoung hyung. Don’t worry about me,” Mingyu laughs maniacally, eyes widening in panic. Soonyoung only takes a second to look at them suspiciously before he lets out a merry laugh, swinging his arm across Mingyu’s shoulder despite the height difference.

“Then why did they make such a ruckus? I thought I have to beat some punk because he’s making you lift him up. Don’t you have legs for that?” Soonyoung is making stink eyes at Wonwoo as he speaks but Mingyu is the one feeling slapped by his words. He clears his throat, flush rapidly rising up his neck.

“Okay, let’s just go! Disperse, people,” he waves his long arms, ignoring the murmurs of disappointment as they begin to leave. Mingyu finally can breathe a bit easier, only the three of them left. He turns to see Soonyoung’s smiling face, realising he spoke too soon. 

“Let’s go, I haven’t seen you in a while and I miss you so much,” Soonyoung pouts, tiptoeing to place his head on Mingyu’s shoulder. Mingyu’s body grows rigid, unsure of the next course of action to take. 

“Wonwoo hyung--” he begins, but Wonwoo only shakes his head before turning on his heels and walk away. The happiness pooling in his chest just then is now a simmer of regret, eyes sad as he watches Wonwoo’s figure getting smaller and wills himself to be pulled by Soonyoung farther and farther away.

“Why are you looking so down, my boy? Give me that pretty smile,” Soonyoung coos, tickling Mingyu’s chin with his free hand that is not holding a melting ice cream cone. Mingyu reluctantly stretches his lips, giving him a wide smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

He usually has a blast with Soonyoung whenever they are together, but this time he just isn’t in the mood. Soonyoung has dragged him to the nearest ice cream parlour, arguing that Mingyu has a free period after and Soonyoung...well, his English teacher won’t miss him.

“How did you know Wonwoo anyway? I’ve never seen the guy talk to someone outside his small circle. I thought he’s too arrogant for that,” Soonyoung questions as they walk back to school just in time for the next period. Mingyu pretends to occupy himself with his ice cream, licking the frozen chocolate while he thinks of a way to get around this. It’s not exactly a secret that Soonyoung has a long-running onesided rivalry with Wonwoo for some reason, and Mingyu has a feeling that he won't appreciate hearing that Mingyu is living with his enemy.

“Our parents are friends so that's how I know him. We're not that close, but we talk sometimes,” Mingyu says shortly, not very far from the truth. There is no need for him to tell the whole situation, Soonyoung wouldn't possibly find out unless he forces it out of Wonwoo.

“Ah,” Soonyoung accepts that easily. It’s not a task to fool Soonyoung, since everything flies over his head and he has the attention span of a five years old. Mingyu keeps up the cheery act and only drop them when he arrives at his next class and Soonyoung disappears from view.

“You look like shit,” Minghao says in lieu of a greeting when Mingyu plops in his seat beside him. Mingyu grunts in agreement, resting his head on his arm.

“You got your highest academic achievements and you still look like a sour prune, I don’t get it,” Mingyu doesn’t expect him to understand, mainly because Minghao is genuinely smart. He has no idea how they become friends in the first place, their personalities either meshing together very well or constantly at war with each other. Their friendship works, so Mingyu doesn’t question it.

“Soonyoung hyung drags me off before I can claim my reward,” Mingyu pouts. He doesn’t mind that much not getting piggybacked, but he doesn’t like to be forcefully pulled away when he already tried so hard to build Wonwoo’s trust enough for him to not want to chew Mingyu out for talking to him. 

Minghao has no idea what Mingyu is talking about since he hasn’t clued in his friends on any of his progress with Wonwoo unless prompted to, but that doesn’t stop him from looking at Mingyu in blatant disapproval.

“You need to reign in that co-independence. You’re barely friends,” Mingyu pretends he doesn’t hear him.

“So what, he will fall in love with me one day,” he mumbles intelligibly. Minghao snickers, careful to keep his tone level as the teacher comes in. 

“Admire your optimism. That’s the only thing you got going for you.” Mingyu flips him off.

Wonwoo doesn’t bring up the last incident, but he still talks with Mingyu and looks less hateful while doing so, thus Mingyu doesn’t dwell on it much.

He barely sees Wonwoo anymore though, the senior busy revising for his final exam before he graduates. Mingyu’s heart clenches uncomfortably at the thought of never seeing Wonwoo again after this, so he decides to make the most of it, even if that means risking being kicked out. He doesn’t think that will be the case though since Wonwoo is softening up to him, albeit in a very slow pace. 

“Tea?” Mingyu knocks on the door, not receiving a reply. He waits for a moment before entering. His line of sight first lands on Wonwoo’s table, clean and tidy. Instead, he’s on his computer and is diligently playing a game, headphones effectively blocking his ears from the outside noise. Chan looks up at him instead, glaring when he sees that it’s just Mingyu. 

“You again. Don’t you have anything else to do?” Chan fires. Mingyu has learned to ignore his harsh words, placing the cups on the empty table. Wonwoo doesn’t seem to notice him, too immersed with his virtual world. Mingyu shakes his head, not surprised that Wonwoo chooses to work earlier and slack off the nearer it is to his exam date. Genius minds work in ways he simply cannot understand. 

He ruffles Chan’s hair instead, receiving a yelp and an almost-kick to the rib. That harmless action immediately gets him kicked out of their room, a raging Chan slamming the door behind him. Mingyu grins mischievously, going back to his own room.

“Why am I hearing from other people instead of my own best friend’s mouth that he is getting friendly with his crush?” Seungkwan strides confidently, Hansol in tow. He probably forces his boyfriend away from his usual table with his foreign rap friends in an attempt to coax the truth out of Mingyu, since he knows Mingyu has a soft spot for him.

“You’re being overdramatic,” Mingyu rolls his eyes, stabbing his salad as Hansol slides on the seat beside him.

“How can I not? I never expected this kind of betrayal from my best friend. I thought we tell each other _everything_ ,” Seungkwan shakes his head disappointingly, leaning on Minghao’s shoulder in an act of dismay.  “This is it, Hao Hao hyung. It’s us against the world, no more Bubbles in our Powerpuff Girls team.” 

Minghao knocks his head away from his shoulder, rolling his eyes.

“How many times do I have to tell you that’s not a thing? And don’t overreact, Mingyu doesn’t owe you anything,” Seungkwan pouts, glaring at Mingyu unsatisfyingly. He is probably hoping for Minghao to side with him, but he forgets that Minghao is a true neutral.

“Fine, he doesn’t. I would appreciate being kept in the loop though,” he mumbles haughtily. Hansol lifts his hand, placing it on Mingyu’s shoulders.

“You guys are fine, right? If he makes fun of you again I might have to teach him a lesson,” Hansol offers firmly. Mingyu tells him to keep it, his noodle arms couldn’t possibly inflict much damage to Wonwoo. He may look bony, but Mingyu has seen him lifting weights without breaking a sweat, he’s definitely stronger than he looks.

“I’m kind of proud in a way, it’s rare anything ever goes well for you. My baby is all grown up, finding love and keeping secrets from us,” Seungkwan fake-cries, keeping up the act. Mingyu makes a face, disregarding his dramatics. Seungkwan stops a moment later, gaze fixed on something over Mingyu’s shoulder. In his unadulterated curiosity, Mingyu turns back to see Wonwoo walking with purpose, glasses neat on his face. The sight leaves Mingyu with a pounding heartbeat like he’s staring at the love of his life coming to get him.

“Kim Mingyu,” Wonwoo says, low and only meant for him based on the way he ignores the rest of the occupants on the table. Mingyu automatically nods, not expecting Wonwoo to approach him at school ever again since he reinforced the ‘don’t act like you know me at school’ policy that Mingyu promptly breaks not very long after. He gets chewed a bit over that, but here Wonwoo is, doing the exact same thing.

“Why do you keep looking at me like I’m one second away from beating you up? Stop that,” Wonwoo reprimands. Mingyu tries to school his expression into a more natural one, not quite succeeding. 

“I’m going home late and there’s no one at home, so make sure you don’t starve my brother to death. Just make lunch, mom will be home by dinner,” he says, cutting right to the chase. Mingyu gives a small nod indicating he’s listening, wondering why Wonwoo bothers to come over when he can just text—oh right, they haven’t exchanged numbers. Of course.

He leaves after saying what he needs to without as much as a goodbye and Mingyu watches his lean back figure until he disappears from view.

“Well, _that_ ,” Seungkwan begins, breaking the tense silence. “Is something, huh?” 

“He doesn’t seem friendly but at the same time, he’s not outright ignoring you,” Hansol ponders, index finger tapping his chin. “Is he one of those, you know, tsundere? He acts like that.” 

Mingyu shrugs. Technically, Wonwoo only cares about his brother’s wellbeing. That doesn’t mean a thing.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Minghao says suddenly. Mingyu cocks his head, gesturing him to go ahead, pray tell.

“You think he only talks to you because of his brother, right?” Mingyu nods, _duh_. “But he can just contact his brother and let him know. There's no need for him to approach you,” Minghao explains, leaving the table in confused silence.

“What’s your point?” Seungkwan questions. Mingyu can feel his brain hurting, not understanding what Minghao is implying. He's too frazzled and hopelessly in love to think straight.

“It means that he’s trying, you dumbass. It’s not as hopeless as we think after all,” Minghao concludes, a rare grin on his face as he reaches over to knock on Mingyu’s shoulder. He rubs on the spot, thinking over Minghao’s words and cannot help but let the hope blossom in his chest.

“You’re talking a big game here, hyung. It may not be that case at all,” Seungkwan retaliates carefully. Hansol nods, hesitant as he looks at Mingyu.

“Not that we don’t want it to be, just that it might be unlikely,” Hansol hastens to explain, noticing Mingyu’s expression falling. 

“I thought I was supposed to be the cynical one here,” Minghao frowns, not expecting the strong oppositions. They look at Mingyu simultaneously when he suddenly stands up, the bell rings overhead.

“They’re right, Hao. It’s just unlikely,” Mingyu sighs, waving a hand behind his back before he turns around. “See you guys later.”

He leaves his friend without sparing another look, heart sinking in his chest. That’s right, Wonwoo liking him back may never happen, so why should he keep his hopes up? 

It doesn’t matter, he’s not going to give up after trying so hard. Even as friends, he wants Wonwoo to mean something to him and be a part of his life. It’s just one of those things he’s certain of without needing any kind of excuse or explanation.

"Let's go somewhere," Wonwoo says just as Mingyu is stepping down the last stair. He turns to the kitchen where Wonwoo is leaning against the wall, a cup on his hand and hair dishevelled. He frowns, unsure what spurs this on since Wonwoo is usually a homebody that prefers his own company, but he still agrees easily. He'll go to the end of the earth if Wonwoo asks him to.

"My exam's coming soon so I need to release some steam," he offers as an explanation when Mingyu asks, closing the door behind him. Chan has wanted to come along, but when Wonwoo has said that Mingyu is also going, he quickly backs down. Mingyu is almost offended, he is pretty sure he's a good company to have.

"I'm sure you do that _after_ you're done with the exam," Mingyu replies in amusement. Wonwoo waves him off, leading him to the subway.

"Eh, details."

Mingyu isn't sure what he is expecting, but he surely isn't surprised to find himself in an arcade half an hour later, aggressively bashing buttons and still end up losing badly.

"You suck," Wonwoo tells him, looking for another game to play. Mingyu follows behind him, being entrusted with the tokens. _Just so you can be useful_ , Wonwoo has said.

"I don't, you're just too good," Wonwoo nods in agreement, standing in front of a shooting game, reaching his hand out towards Mingyu as he wordlessly asks for the tokens.

"I'll cut you some slack, if you win at least one game I'll treat you to ice cream," Mingyu's eyes lit up at the suggestion and he immediately agrees. He stretches lightly, getting prepared seriously for the sake of ice cream.

He loses at that game, but he's not ready to give up yet so they head to almost every game in the arcade before Mingyu finally snags a win in the basketball game. Wonwoo nods at him, conceding his defeat. Mingyu grins in victory, pulling him by the sleeve gently to get some refreshments after that intense session of gaming.

When they walk back home, ice cream in each hand, Mingyu belatedly realises it feels nothing like his hangout with Soonyoung before. He smiles at Wonwoo's side profile, looking away when Wonwoo tilts his head slightly to look up at the signboard. There really is no way he's getting over him, he realizes. Not with the way that warmth and giddiness overflow his chest simply by being in Wonwoo's company even when they're barely talking.

He lets out a little sigh. If only Wonwoo also feels the same.

All too soon, it’s time for him to return to his own house. The farewell has been laced with tears, Aunt Lee has been so attached to him since they both have bonded so well over countless chatters and chores assisting. Mingyu may shed a few tears as well, turning away so no one can see.

Chan looks happy to see him go, and Wonwoo doesn’t seem like he particularly cares. Mingyu expects that, but it still doesn’t stop him from feeling hurt. He just wants Wonwoo to show that he cares, despite being aware that it's a far-fetched dream. 

“Take care,” he says to Aunt Lee and Uncle Jeon, hugging each of them tightly before going over to Chan to mess his hair. Chan’s smile instantly vanishes as he glares at Mingyu with disdain. Mingyu turns to Wonwoo who is carrying Mingyu’s suitcase down the stairs from his room because his mom forces him to. _It’s the least you can do_ , she has said. Mingyu hesitates in stepping forward, instead only giving him a small smile.

“Thanks for being patient with me. Don’t play too much that you forget to eat,” he says, mindful of Wonwoo’s habit of neglecting his health when he gets into his games.

Wonwoo nods, replying with a small upward tilt at the corner of his lips. It’s not quite a smile, but it still affects Mingyu all the same.

“Yes mom,” he says playfully, pushing Mingyu’s suitcase to him. He doesn’t say anymore so Mingyu only nods, giving a last wave to everyone before closing the door behind him.

Back to his own life without a piece of Wonwoo in every corner of the room he goes to.

“You don’t need to tip people off to make them send your lunch boxes, just come directly to me,” Wonwoo says, after he pokes his head at the window outside Mingyu’s class, hands resting on the pane. Mingyu startles, and so does half the class. Wonwoo truly has an unprecedented record of catching people off guard.

“I thought you wouldn’t want me to talk to you,” Mingyu says once he gets over the initial embarrassment of the attention on them and gets out of his classroom to talk with Wonwoo properly.

“Why are you being a stranger? You had no trouble annoying me before,” Wonwoo looks up at him in slight confusion. He doesn’t know how to feel, seeing the genius Jeon Wonwoo having a hard time figuring him out. Mingyu thought he is a simpleton, but he also doesn't understand why he keeps pushing and pulling when it comes to Wonwoo. It's simply the entire basis of their relationship.

“Do you want me to keep annoying you? You would probably regret that,” Mingyu teases, ignoring the initial question. Wonwoo tilts his head up, eyes narrowing in suspicion before his expression returns to neutral.

“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t need more stress. Thanks for lunch anyway,” he says. Mingyu smiles brightly at that. He knows Wonwoo rarely shows his gratitude, and he also isn't comfortable with making the first move. But lately, he's slowly trying to breach his comfort zone for whatever reason. Minghao's words replay in his mind: _He's trying._

“No problem. Good luck for your exam, rest well,” he tells Wonwoo before he leaves, waving even though Wonwoo keeps walking forward without looking back. His figure is getting farther away but this time he only feels petals blossoming in his chest, wide grin permanently etched on his expression.

“The whole school is saying you two are dating,” Seungkwan says, looking confused and rightfully so. He is sure if they were, Mingyu surely wouldn’t be able to hide it.

Mingyu almost chokes, wondering why that is a common reoccurrence during lunchtime. Why couldn’t they discuss this topic when Mingyu isn’t famished and halfway through his meal?

“I wasn’t aware if we were,” Mingyu says, just as appalled. If Wonwoo shows any indication he likes him back, surely he’ll be the first to know.

“How else would you explain him going all the way to your class to talk to you? That’s considered romantic gesture by these tasteless people,” Seungkwan rolls his eyes. Minghao fills him about the incident, since Mingyu really won’t say anything unless Seungkwan forces it out of him. 

“Then does that mean you and Hansol are married since he walks you home every day?” Mingyu snorts, finding the rumour so ridiculous yet at the same time flattered that some people genuinely think so. He knows his reputation as a troublemaker idiot precedes him, and even if they were, they will probably be the most eccentric pair to grace the school grounds.

Seungkwan laughs, the topic quickly forgotten. Minghao doesn’t, though. He’s looking at Mingyu like he’s close to solving a piece of puzzle. Mingyu pointedly ignores the relentless gaze at the side of his face, occupying himself by asking Seungkwan about his day. Minghao is too perceptive for his own good, and he has no answer to give.

Final exam and graduation come hand in hand, and in no time at all, Wonwoo is decked in cape and gown, no longer holding the title of a high school student.

Mingyu comes to the graduation ceremony with Aunt Lee and Chan, who doesn’t look glad to see him but tolerates him belligerently due to the warning glare his mother sends him every time he is close to acting out. He sits between them, Aunt Lee’s camera going off every two minutes. Mingyu laughs when she comments about how dull the event is and makes fun of his son’s bored face throughout the entire thing.

“Look at that boy, he doesn’t get excited over anything ever. Sometimes I wonder if he’s my son or an android,” she muses, shaking her head. Mingyu wonders the same thing as well, he’s just too perfect and too emotionless to be true.

Mingyu gives the bouquets to Wonwoo, the senior unsurprised to see him with his family, almost like he’s always been a part of it. Aunt Lee ushers them to take a picture together, getting into position. Mingyu shakes his head, already sensing Wonwoo's rejection. He is sure Wonwoo will say no, since he has actively avoided taking pictures with anyone who asks. Why would he be any different?

Except, Wonwoo only nods and steps beside him. He grows rigid when Wonwoo's shoulder brushes his and for the umpteenth time, he wonders why Wonwoo's random actions still render him speechless. He should be used to it, but it still gets to him every time. It takes Wonwoo poking him before he snaps out of it, stepping into the frame and giving his picture perfect smile at the camera. He feels Wonwoo inching closer to him before he whispers, "If I return your feelings, will you cook ramen for me every day?"

Mingyu whips around with wide eyes and the flash goes off.

“Coming!” Mingyu calls out, jumping out from his comfortable spot on the couch when the bell rings. He checks his phone, free of notifications. He doesn’t expect anyone to come over, moreover without any notice. His parents are both out, doing last-minute Christmas shopping and insisting he stays at home or it will spoil the surprise. It’s a tradition of some sort.

He opens the door without suspicions, thinking it’s one of his friends since they will usually bother him all year round. He almost stumbles in shock, because the person across him on the entrance is not Seungkwan, nor Minghao, nor Hansol.

“Hey,” Wonwoo greets, casual in his sweater that is way too thin for the weather, beanie perched on top of his messy hair. His nose is red, cheeks ruddy. Mingyu instinctively pulls him inside, thinking that Wonwoo might freeze to death if he stays a second longer in that weather with that inappropriate attire.

“Wear something warmer, what if you get sick?” Mingyu hisses, turning up the heater and pulling Wonwoo to sit on the sofa, the TV playing a rerun of Home Alone. 

“Chill, I’m not going to die,” he says, and yet Mingyu still offers him the thick blanket on the sofa and a hot chocolate, wanting to make sure he’s properly warm.

“What brings you here?” Mingyu asks after they’re both settled down and Wonwoo is cupping his mug to warm his hand up.

“My family bailed on me and my computer is being repaired,” Wonwoo answers, straight to the point as usual. “So I’m bored.”

Mingyu is flattered that Wonwoo considers Mingyu as an option, despite not his first priority. That means Wonwoo enjoys his company enough to actively seek him out, right? He needs to ask Minghao’s opinion about this.  He still hasn't gotten over what happened last time during graduation despite knowing full well Wonwoo is just joking around. It should be a crime to play with feelings.

“Well, consider your day saved. I have a shelf full of board games and no one to play them with. Ready to get your ass kicked?” Mingyu grins, knowing that Wonwoo is never one to back down from a challenge.

“You’re going to eat your words, pretty boy,” Wonwoo’s smile is sinister, showing a neat row of teeth. If Mingyu’s cheeks tint red, well, he’s just going to blame it on the heater.

Mingyu wraps the scarf tighter around his neck. He walks across the obnoxious lights and stores blasting Christmas songs, breath coming in puffs. It’s barely snowing and he still feels underdressed in his heavy ensemble. He spares a glance at the boy beside him who dresses too simply for the occasion, not even a scarf around his neck to fend against the windy weather. He looks content though, in his element. Mingyu chooses not to comment although he’s itching to.

“Anything that catches your eyes?” He asks, to distract himself doing something drastic like offering his coat and scarf. He has an inkling Wonwoo won’t appreciate it.

“Not really,” Wonwoo mumbles, looking up at the tall Christmas tree in the middle of the street. The bright lights hit his face on all the right angles, small patches of snowflakes hitting his face. He looks beautiful, and if Mingyu wasn’t in love before, he surely is now.

“You should get something for your family anyway, it’s getting late,” Mingyu says, looking at his watch. His hands are full of Christmas presents for his family and friends, and he possibly fits in one more bag for his temporary family.

Wonwoo nods, entering the nearest store and breezes through the purchases without giving much thoughts. Mingyu waits outside, provoking his friends via text that he’s one-upping his gifts since last year, and they should be prepared.

Wonwoo comes out not long after, a bag in each hand. He looks up at Mingyu, tilting his head slightly as an invitation to go home.

“Starbucks?” Mingyu requests, not willing to end a holiday outing without festive drinks. Wonwoo nods, easily agreeing and letting Mingyu guide him to the nearest outlet.

Mingyu orders eggnog for himself and a vanilla latte for Wonwoo, mindful to order for less syrup since Wonwoo doesn’t have a sweet tooth. If it’s up to Wonwoo, he will go for an espresso instead, but Mingyu insists it’s an abomination and he should loosen up for the sake of festivities. Sweets won’t kill him.

They sit beside the window, Wonwoo blankly watching at the falling snow while Mingyu is filling the silence with little tidbits and antidotes from his previous Christmas shenanigans with his friends consisting of blacking out the entire neighbourhood as well as riding down the hill and almost breaking several bones. Wonwoo makes a noise of affirmation indicating he’s listening, but Mingyu can hear his mind working 90 miles per hour. Wonwoo’s jaw is tight the way it does when he’s thinking hard over something, amongst Wonwoo’s little habits he picked up along the way.

“What’s bothering you?” Mingyu asks, deeming his story of egging his neighbour’s car unimportant compared to Wonwoo’s inner turmoil. Wonwoo blinks at the sudden question, his frown melting into curiosity.

“You can tell? No one ever could,” Wonwoo says instead, a little awe in his voice. Mingyu can’t help feeling flattered that he could impress Wonwoo, although he only notices because he’s very attuned to Wonwoo’s mannerism. He shrugs and gestures for Wonwoo to talk, letting him take the wheel. 

He doesn’t do so immediately, looking conflicted like he isn’t sure whether it’s a good idea to talk about his concerns.  Mingyu waits patiently, sipping his drink while scrolling through social media. He figures if he doesn’t look too imposing then maybe Wonwoo will be more inclined to tell. 

“I don’t know what to do after I graduate,” he says finally, his voice small amid the bustling cafe that Mingyu has to strain his ears to hear it. He nods, acknowledging that it’s a valid concern. Mingyu has a year left to go so he has no idea what Wonwoo is feeling but he figures that Wonwoo is just feeling confused about his future, as most people usually are.

“Do you have anything you’re passionate about? Maybe a childhood ambition? You’re smart, you can be anything you want,” Mingyu inquires gently. Wonwoo shakes his head, looking puzzled before sighing in defeat.

“I know I can do anything, I just don’t know how to choose one,” Even in his distress, Wonwoo still maintains his vanity. Mingyu contains his laughter, knowing it isn’t the appropriate time.

“Okay, let’s try to break this down first. What about…” Mingyu leans in, pondering a bit before an idea hits. “Your favourite subject?”

Wonwoo looks at him, expression inscrutable. “I don’t have one.”

Mingyu leans back. This is proving to be tougher than expected. He tries again, grappling for any sort of logical questions, which is admittedly not his speciality.

“Okay, how about your favourite game?” He asks, going for Wonwoo’s sure interest. He keeps his fingers crossed for some decisive answers this time. Wonwoo takes longer to answer, thinking carefully.

“There’s no particular one, I like to switch it up every time. Probably puzzles, or shooting games when I want to release some stress,” Wonwoo answers with a firm nod. Mingyu worries his bottom lip, at wit’s end by Wonwoo’s nonchalance.

“Anything you wish to achieve in life?” He asks next, vaguely feeling like a counsellor advising a lost soul. Wonwoo stares blankly at him, and that is answer enough. He lets out a sigh, pulling a backup plan. 

“Okay, drink up and stop thinking about it. You can play your game instead,” he says, permitting Wonwoo to immerse himself in his phone and ignore Mingyu for the rest of the date--hangout? It probably isn’t a date, they’re still not quite there yet. He drops the thought, shooting a message to someone who isn’t reliable, but quick.

_ hyung, do you have any sort of concern about leaving school? _

As expected, the reply comes lightning fast, not even 30 seconds later.

_ the only concern i have is not seeing you again _

_ my favourite dongsaeng o(╥ ﹏ ╥)o _

Right. Also as expected, not a serious answer.

_ i’m serious hyung _

_ my friend is having a meltdown over it _

_ friend? who? you all are still too young to stress over it _

_ do you have a senior friend?? _

_ is it that wonwoo jerk?  ヽ (* ｀ ﾟ Д´) ﾉ _

_ stop derailing hyung _

_ or im not texting you again _

_ okay okay fine (´ ＾｀ ) _

_ i do, but i try not to let it bother me _

_ i’ll figure out as i go, but i have a general idea of what i want to do _

_ it may change but at least you need to have a basic plan _

_ tell that to your ‘friend’ _

_ i know how indecisive that prick can be _

_ thanks hyung _

_ i owe you one  **♡** _

_ **♡** _

_ don’t spend too much time with that guy _

_ he’s bad news _

He switches off his phone, finding Wonwoo still enamoured with his game, sipping his drink slowly and wincing because of the sweet taste. He takes a moment to watch Wonwoo’s shift of expression, his drink almost slipping from his hand when Wonwoo suddenly lifts his head to stare straight at him. He smiles, light and teasing.

“Haven’t your parents told you it’s rude to stare?” Wonwoo doesn’t sound mad, only amused. Mingyu curses himself for being so damn transparent, quickly hiding his face under his cup.

“I don’t think you have to worry about it much,” he says, getting back to the main topic before he can embarrass himself more.

“I don’t want to tell you what you should or should not do because it’s your future, and you should decide it for yourself. But what I _could_ do is to help you to do some research and discuss our best options, how does that sound?” Wonwoo nods as he listens, thinking carefully.

They spend the rest of their time there finishing their drinks, the comfortable silence warm and pleasing. Usually, he will find ways to fill in the silence since he finds the quiet palpable and overbearing but when he's with Wonwoo, he never feels that way. 

“You know,” Wonwoo begins, when they’re heading out back to embrace the cold winter outside. “You’re not that dumb. Your EQ is pretty high.”

Mingyu’s grin almost rivals the blinding lights, not realising he’s stepping closer to Wonwoo. They walk side by side, occasionally breaking apart when their hands accidentally brush before naturally drifting back to each other’s side again. Mingyu convinces himself that the thumping on his chest is just a result of the reverberation from the bass in every corner and not because of the cold boy next to him, so close yet so far away.

“Sometimes I envy you,” Wonwoo says suddenly in the middle of them pouring brochures upon brochures of courses from different universities on Wonwoo’s bedroom floor. Mingyu startles in the middle of sorting them neatly against the carpet, eyes widening in surprise. 

“Pardon?” He is sure he misheard, there is no way Jeon Wonwoo, _the_ Jeon Wonwoo could ever harbour any kind of envy towards him. What for? Wonwoo has everything and more.

“Just, the way you live life. You don’t take it very seriously but you make yourself useful when it matters. You have clear likes and dislikes and is so sure about yourself. I wish I could be like that sometimes, you know? Not the being a reckless idiot part, but more like knowing myself and what I want,” Wonwoo explains, and that is the most Mingyu has ever heard him talk in one go. He even manages to slip in an insult in the middle even when he meant to compliment Mingyu, which is not less than expected.

Mingyu doesn’t reply, not sure what to say. No one ever views his impetuous behaviour as an admirable quality, so he isn’t sure how to react.

“I think that makes us human, isn’t it? Always unsatisfied with what we have,” Wonwoo continues, taking a random brochure before reading the content. Mingyu nods, sitting down properly and watches the colourful pamphlets. In a year, he will be in this position and stresses over the same thing. It's daunting, the way every moment passes by so quickly. A few months ago he has an impossible crush on Wonwoo that won't go anywhere, and now he's in his bedroom, the feeling silently growing stronger the more time they spent together. He learns to embrace it, no matter if it's reciprocated or not. He's happy with the way they are now. 

“We can shortlist those that catch your eyes,” he supplies helpfully, leaning against the bed behind him. Wonwoo hums distractedly, eyes focused. They sit mostly in silence as Wonwoo ponders and giving questions Mingyu doesn’t know how to answer, and time quickly passes by as they go through each one. Wonwoo being indecisive is causing them to take longer than Mingyu would prefer. He glances at the clock, noticing that it’s getting late.

“I should go, it’s late,” he tells Wonwoo. It takes some effort to pull Wonwoo’s attention from drilling a hole on the ground by how intense he’s staring at his shortlisted options. Wonwoo stares at him contemplatively for a moment, stopping him when he’s about to step out of his room.

“Why don’t you sleep here?” He asks casually. Mingyu’s hand slips from the doorknob, once again bamboozled by Wonwoo’s sudden decisions. He really cannot predict his next moves at all. Mingyu would expect him to do one thing and then he will go and do the exact opposite.

“Why? It’s not like you haven’t been here before,” Wonwoo says, noticing his hesitance. Mingyu hangs awkwardly in front of the door, unsure to break the news that Wonwoo seems to have forgotten one minor detail.

“Where will I sleep?” He asks, gesturing to his old room across the hall that is now occupied by its original tenant. Chan wouldn’t let Mingyu near 2 meter radius of him, more so stepping into his room. There is no other guest room, and he is too tall to cramp himself in the couch. That’s a sacrifice he’s simply not willing to make, no matter how much he likes Wonwoo.

“Sleep here then,” Wonwoo answers easily, throwing away the rejected pamphlets. Mingyu freezes, the air stuffy all of the sudden. He can barely function in Wonwoo’s presence, and now he wants them to share a room? Did Wonwoo forget Mingyu is the one that sends him that terrible love letter? Is he aware of the gravity of the situation?

“What’s with the face? I thought you didn’t like me anymore,” Wonwoo smirks, and Mingyu has no doubt he’s messing with him. He grits his teeth, not willing to back down.

“Fine, then. Go tell our parents,” he smiles when Wonwoo rolls his eyes and concedes. 

They spend hours discussing the options until the early mornings. Since Wonwoo has to enrol into university by next month, he has to make a fast decision. But it's simply not easy to choose only one when Wonwoo can do everything well and has no particular interest to boot.

Mingyu doesn't realise exactly when he dozes off; one minute he is laying on Wonwoo's bed as he stares at the brochure when the words start to bleed together, and the next second he opens his eyes to morning light drifting through the blinds and the sight of Wonwoo still on his sitting position on the floor, head resting on the bed and eyes closed. He savours the moment, watching Wonwoo's usually cold face looking calm and content in his sleep.

"Wonwoo hyung," he calls out in a mumble, and Wonwoo blinks his eyes open. He isn't sleeping, Mingyu realises. "You didn't sleep?"

Wonwoo nods, movement sluggish. His voice is lower in the morning, jolting Mingyu awake.

"It's okay, I can sleep the whole day," He murmurs, letting out a yawn. Mingyu looks at him with pity eyes. It's hard for Wonwoo to decide, but he still tries his best despite his hesitance. It's an attractive quality to have, constantly pushing against his comfort zone.

"I've narrowed it down to two," Wonwoo continues, looking slightly awake as he lifts his head to look at Mingyu. He shows the options, one is a prestigious university offering mostly natural science courses and the other one is a local university that covers all kinds of courses. Mingyu nods, looking questioningly at him for his final decision.

"If you have to choose, which one will you go for?" Mingyu frowns at the abrupt question but answers him anyway.

"The second one, obviously. It's cheaper and it offers a lot of choices. I'm not into science anyway," he answers, before remembering that he's just assisting. "It's not my choice though, it's yours. Just choose whichever feels right."

Wonwoo hums, staring at the ceiling before his eyes land back on Mingyu's sleepy face.

"You hogged my bed and left me to stay up alone, how very untrustworthy of you," Wonwoo teases. Mingyu whines as he rolls over before accidentally drops himself from the bed, whining louder in pain. Wonwoo lets out a snicker at Mingyu's suffering, pulling him by the wrist to stand upright. Mingyu lets him, the skin against his warm and smooth.

"Go home and get some rest, sorry I keep you up so late," he says, smooth voice blanketing Mingyu like his favourite blanket. Mingyu shakes his head, fixing his hair and smiling gently at Wonwoo.

"It's no problem at all. Sleep well," he hesitates before standing up. "See you later?"

Wonwoo nods, eyes lighting up as he looks up at him. His heart stutters at his chest, already finding the confirmation he needs. Wonwoo wants him as a part of his life, and he will stay as long as Wonwoo wants to keep him around. 

Their families come together to celebrate Christmas, and the festive spirit seems to infect everyone, including Chan. He even allows Mingyu to hug him, although that is mainly because Mingyu gifts him a shiny toy car he has been eyeing for months. He takes full advantage of the situation, tickling Chan and makes him let out a full belly laugh. It leaves him with a sense of pride, seeing Chan finally smiling at him.

Wonwoo gives him a book. Mingyu stares blankly at the title, 'How to be a Better Person'. He shakes his head at Wonwoo, laughing at how easily Wonwoo jokes with him now. He makes sure to wipe out his dusty shelf and places the present right on top, separated from other books that don't matter.

"Nice," Wonwoo comments at the horror game Mingyu has gotten for him. Mingyu has to make some research and bribe Chan to make sure he buys one that Wonwoo doesn't already have since his collection is stupidly large and Mingyu couldn't possibly go through each one. Wonwoo's glittering eyes as he looks up at him makes it worth it.

He eyes the mistletoe hanging on the ceiling near the living room, slowly inching towards it as he thinks of ways to lure Wonwoo to approach him. Only, Wonwoo seems to have sensed his tactics and avoids Mingyu by all means possible, simply grinning devilishly at him from afar over his cocktail glass. Mingyu pouts, knowing his plan falls through since Wonwoo sees right through him.

His phone beeps in his pocket, and a grin lit up his face after seeing the messages from Minghao.

_merry christmas 🎄_

_go get that boy, gyu_

"Are you sure about this?" Mingyu asks. Wonwoo has asked him to come along and go on the campus tour with him after they finally exchange numbers. It has been a long time coming, but here they are.

He looks around the unfamiliar setting, the open space and natural colour putting him in ease. It's the sort of atmosphere he likes, and he can see himself going here in the near future if he decides to continue with his studies.

"You like it?" Wonwoo asks instead of answering.

"Me?" Mingyu stammers in confusion. What does his preference have to do with anything?

"Yes, but I'm asking _you_ ," Mingyu answers impatiently, brows furrowing at Wonwoo's blatant dismissal. They walk side by side, the place mostly empty since it's still semester break. Mingyu lets the tranquillity wash over them, the light wind blowing at his face gently.

"Then come here next year," Wonwoo says after a lengthy silence, sidestepping him to go to another path. Mingyu blinks, blanking out for a full second as he tries to process what Wonwoo meant.

"Wh-what?" he sputters, quickly catching up after Wonwoo. Is this what he thinks this is?

"Are you sure? You told me I was annoying." Mingyu feels a smile growing, wider each second. The flowers in his chest are in full bloom.

"Never said I don't like annoying," He replies with a teasing smirk, quickly averting from Mingyu's hold. Mingyu laughs, his heart jumping around its chamber by the roundabout confession. They break out into a chase as he tries to reel Wonwoo closer while Wonwoo dodges his every attempt but never running too far.

It's just the way they are; the push and pull, the chasing game. Wonwoo laughs, deep and full as the wind caresses his hair. Mingyu hasn't caught him yet, but he feels like he already won.

**Author's Note:**

> feedbacks are very appreciated! ❤️  
> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/pixelate)  
> [twt](https://twitter.com/sunsies)


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